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Tendai Rupapa in GUTU
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is steering the country’s development agenda as the Second Republic walks the talk and remains committed to continue improving people’s lives.
On the other hand, while complementing President Mnangagwa’s vision, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa as a mother is sowing the seeds of love, preaching peace in families through empowerment and well-thought-out programmes and projects to address social challenges like drug abuse, prostitution and child marriages among many other social ills.
She is a hard worker, women’s champion and a mother with deep passion to assist Zimbabweans in their life’s most difficult moments.
On Friday, the First Lady was invited by the people of Gutu Central, who gathered to tap into her educational teachings, which are centred mainly on empowerment, hard work and building sustainable families.
The people spoke glowingly about the rehabilitation of roads, clinics, bridges, schools, and irrigation schemes being done by the Second Republic, under the leadership of President Mnangagwa.
The awestruck villagers said they owed the President a debt of gratitude and would vote him back into office on August 23 to continue with his developmental work.
They also want the First Lady to continue with her educative and empowerment programmes that are enhancing the status of women and moulding families.
Amai Mnangagwa had an interactive session with the community where she highlighted her life-transforming empowerment projects, saying that she would not leave any stone unturned to ensure all citizens are economically empowered.
ZANU PF supporters during an interactive session with First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Masvingo on Friday. – Pictures: John Manzongo
She also spoke about her Agric4She programme and the need for every woman to take part.
Through her Angel of Hope Foundation, the mother of the nation donated farming inputs, 30 tonnes of rice, 30 tonnes of maize-meal, among other basic commodities.
“It is my pleasure to meet you all today here in Gutu Central and I am thankful for the warm welcome you accorded me, showing we are one family. I have come early, especially for women, vamwe vangu, as you saw the time I arrived here because I am a mother who barely sleeps. Ndinenge ndichingofunga vana vangu kuti dai ndavaitira izvi neizvi. This is because a woman defines the home. Our Government led by Cde ED Mnangagwa, our President, has many programmes and some of which are being implemented here in Masvingo, in all wards and in all provinces of the country. What the Minister of Devolution was saying here is happening countrywide, including in Masvingo and this ward of Gutu Central. We, therefore, want the President’s vision to continue the way it was started,” she said and people answered “yes” in unison.
“At Gutu Mission Hospital, incubators were put in place for premature babies. This had never happened before at Gutu Rural Hospital; a mortuary was also constructed. This is what we call development because we previously did not have such facilities,” she said to thunderous applause.
The mother of the nation also emphasised the need for couples to show each other love and resolve differences amicably.
“As a mother, I have come so that we discuss all issues of any nature. A mother solves disputes so that families grow in love, because children learn from how you live as parents. I then said to women, they should not just sit.”
“The Government saw that women were a very big demographic group that was keen to work. They then asked what we wanted to do and we said tinoda kurima. As women, we are also capable of producing results. The Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, then introduced Agric4She for us women, which brought with it many arms like Fisheries4She, Poultry4She, Goats4She, Horticulture4She, Maize and Wheat4She and many other crops, which we are growing.
“We also asked the women not to be confined in the homes and find somewhere to sell things to transform their lives. If there are any women who are not part of the programme, find what can be suitable for your house as we do everything in Agric4She under the Ministry of Agriculture,” she said.
Gutu Central legislator Cde Winston Chitando addresses ZANU PF supporters during an interactive session with First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Masvingo on Friday
Agric4She, the First Lady said, is for women and their daughters and implored beneficiaries not to sell the inputs they receive.
“Under Agric4She, you get fertilisers, seed and chemicals to use, free of charge, focusing on you as women.
‘We do not want to see you selling these inputs because we want to see transformation in your families’ lives.
“We are saying as mothers, let us work hard and teach our daughters the importance of using one’s hands. These children will someday be married elsewhere and she should go there as someone capable of accomplishing tasks,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa narrated the working partnership between her Angel of Hope Foundation and Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) that is offering short courses.
“Angel of Hope Foundation partnered Zimbabwe Open University so that you can learn free of charge. All I want is your total transformation and growth. The university is not asking as to where you finished your education, even if you finished school in Grade Three, they are admitting you and you will get certificates. Do not be left behind so that you will be able to start and run your businesses.
“As an individual, you must choose what you want in your life, but choose wisely and be productive. I also looked at those who have been married for five years and below and called them and asked what they are focusing on and how they met in a bid to build strong marriages.
“I combined them so that they work together and raise families together. That is my aim of making children appreciate that marriage without a course or knowledge on self-help projects, is an application for poverty,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa further spoke about her traditional cookout competition and the Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba Programmes.
“I saw that our children did not know what is expected of them, especially in relation to our culture and values. The girls could not even cook sadza well. When she leaves the home in the morning she does not come back on time, she only comes late at night.
“We want our daughters to get into the marriage institution with a solid foundation of cultural norms and values knowing that she will be a mother wherever she is going in the future. She will represent us as mothers in the country so that we are not embarrassed with certain behaviours that we are witnessing because of drug abuse.
“Some girls are now seriously into drugs just like the boys. Vana vangu, there are many projects that I am spearheading and I want you to venture into those projects and stay away from drugs. Moyo yedu inorwadza sana amai seeing you ruining yourselves and your lives. Some of the problems we get ourselves into are difficult to reverse; so it is wise to just stay away from troubles. My children, please stay away from drugs, they are harmful. You are the future,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa, spoke of the need for responsibility among youths.
“My children, please return to responsible behaviour that we know as Zimbabweans. We have our own values that we follow,” she said.
She added: “I sat down with the Chiefs’ wives and asked them to look at how girls are staying in the communities as Chiefs sit down with boys while training them. All these are programmes that I will be having as a mother to aide to the development that is being spearheaded by the President in the country,” she said.
The First Lady implored people to live in harmony and work together well.
Evangelist Nelly Gwatidzo focused on the need for women to understand who they are and lead dignified lifestyles.
“As a woman, do you know who you are and where you are coming from and where you are going? You were not a woman at birth, but started off as a girl before you married and gave birth to Susan alongside your husband, whom you loved with all your heart. But is that love still there? Our mother is saying divorce is bad because it is the children who suffer the most. Are you living well with your in-laws, Shedia?
“There must be peace in the home and as mothers, learn to unite the family and sow the seeds of peace. Our mother, the First Lady, is not selective, she loves us all equally. As a mother are you being selective because this causes divisions among children. We must be there for our children as mothers as we find time to teach them good morals,” she said.
She also touched on good hygiene.
Chaplin Christine Phiri of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) implored men and women to work hard and not just wait for handouts.
“Our mother is saying men, women, boys and girls arise and believe in yourselves. She is saying wake up and work, use your hands and do not wait for handouts. Boys, stop taking drugs, use your hands and be a sober person. Go to school and leave intoxicating substances,” she said as the song “Musombo” by Kinnah was blurring from the speakers.
“Amai is saying to our daughters, no to early marriages, it is not good to rush into marriage before the time is ripe. There are some parents who are forcing their children into prostitution because of love for nice things.
“A good parent must ask their daughter when they find her putting on something they did not buy. Check your children’s satchels as they leave for school because some girls carry clothes and fail to report for class. We must live in peace and forgive one another because peace begins at home. Amai is saying no to domestic violence and playing each other the song ‘Asvotwa ngaarutse’ by Seh Calaz. Stay in love as couples and as families,” she said.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Ezra Chadzamira sang praises to the President and First Lady for working closely together for the development of the nation.
“We are grateful to our mother for her dedication and love as seen through her travels across all provinces where she is spearheading projects especially for the less privileged. Today we are with her in Gutu. Gutu has been blessed. We welcome you as the family of Masvingo and thank you for the projects you initiated and those you are still initiating. You did many things that benefited us as a province. You gave orphans who were in the streets a home where they get privileges like other people. You empowered women with education through the Zimbabwe Open University, so that they could manage their households and businesses and stand as women.
“You trained over 10 000 families in this province and we thank you for the great work that you did for us. You empowered women through Agric4She because we only knew men, who as heads of households, cultivated crops, but you enabled women to get inputs and farm for themselves. Free cervical cancer screening services benefited us more. Schools for the disabled were given goat and chicken projects as well as computers to study like their able-bodied peers. We thank you for this great work aimed at realising the goals of Vision 2030, where people will be living well by that year,” he said.
Minister Chadzamira described the First Lady’s programmes as timely and well-thought-out.
“You also inculcated good moral values among our people who were now aping foreign cultures. You brought back our culture and Chiefs are now teaching people our cultural norms and values which had been discarded. We thank you heartily for such great work. We thank you for complementing the Head of State, President Mnangagwa, who has uplifted the economy. The President has done great work by bringing water to the people, built hospitals, schools, roads, boreholes that we are seeing with our eyes.
“He has sunk 1 500 new boreholes. In just three months, when he gave us drilling rigs, we have managed to sink 280 boreholes in this province. Looking at roads, our President has given us big roads like Beitbridge-Chirundu, Chivi-Mhandamahwe, Chiredzi-Chisumbanje. He has also developed feeder roads. A marula factory was developed for us in Mwenezi where people will be selling the mapfura fruit to make amarula and this was not so before, resulting in the empowerment of our communal areas.
“The President resuscitated 70 irrigation schemes and many more are being developed so that we have 70 000 hectares under irrigation to end issues of food deficiency in our province. We are grateful for electricity which is now in abundance. Here in Masvingo we have three hydroelectric stations that are being developed so that we have enough supplies and excess for sale. We are grateful for the splendid work that he is doing. The President says no place should remain behind and as such this is what has been done in this province. We promise you that because of the work that you accomplished with the President, on August 23 the President will retain his position. You shall also remain the First Lady because of the work that you accomplished. In conclusion, I say First Lady, we welcome you here in Gutu,” he said.
Gutu Central legislator, Cde Winston Chitando, who is seeking re-election, thanked the First Lady for her programmes and immense love for the people.
Minister Chitando is the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.
“First of all, I thank the First Lady for complementing our President whom we love so much.
“We thank you for backing the President everyday as we go forward with our journey towards Vision 2030. This vision is premised on the view that our way of life is changing daily. We are thankful for your backing of the President. Secondly, I am thankful for your visit here Amai, we have learnt a lot through your teachings. We also thank you for the inputs and foodstuffs you have given us,” he said.
Online Reporter